Fancy dinner

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My dinner at the fancy restaurant was good and not without its interesting aspects. The restaurant is located in the fancy hotel on the central square which was at its zenith in the 19th century I think. The exterior still looks pretty well kept up, but the interior is less so. Dinners in Latin America are late by our standards - generally around 9-10 o'clock - and the restaurant opens at 7:30, so I waited in the bar until then. The Shackleton Bar is named after the great explorer who was in Punta Arenas in 1914 while he planned the rescue of his stranded crew from Elephant Island. I had a glass of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that was good and read the New Yorker on my iPad. There was only one other customer in the bar and he was carrying on an animated conversation in Spanish on his cell phone - at least I assume he was talking on a cell phone. When I moved to the restaurant, I was the sole customer, but that way I got to have my choice of tables. There was only one waiter and I was surprised that he didn't speak much English because the hotel caters to tourists, I believe. The ambiance was nice with a very old living grape vine growing all along one wall. (See photo) For an appetizer I had king crab salad which was well-presented with little dots of hot sauce around the perimeter. (See photo) It was very good. (I will sheepishly admit that some of you may wonder at my ordering seafood because I "never" eat it, but I made an exception because it is a recommended house specialty and I'm on vacation.) For my entree I had Patagonian lamb. (See photo) It was delicious with just a hint of spice that still allowed the flavor of the meat to come through. The side dish was simply labeled "potatoes", but was a very tasty potato and onion concoction that I really enjoyed. I had no dessert and the total bill came to roughly US$50 - about what I'd expect to pay back home. I have gone on for so long about my dinner last night because there is not much to say about today. This morning I flew from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt where I took a taxi to my hotel overlooking Lake Llanquihue. (See photo - taken from my bedroom window) This area is known as Chile's Lake District and very scenic. I will explore more tomorrow and let you know what I find.

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Comments

[Lisa Morris]

Dinner and pics
Hey Bill, I am a bit behind but am enjoying catching up. The dinner and restaurant look wonderful! All so yummy--but I am not a lamb person so I would have made a different choice..but it looks so nice. Enjoy and be safe!